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A 'new era' heralded for mobile computing
17 February 2010 — 7:25 PM
Mobile phones of the future could be able to communicate directly with computers, televisions, vehicle infotainment systems and portable netbooks following the launch of MeeGo.
Announced this week by Nokia and Intel, the software platform aims to permit the same applications to be used on a variety of different devices, a post on the Nokia Conversations community reveals, which could spur some people to recycle mobile phones and upgrade to devices that can run MeeGo.
It should also mean that applications can be moved directly from one device to another - potentially putting an end to having a desktop version of a program and a less functional mobile equivalent.
Many people could find they are keen to recycle mobile phones in order to upgrade to a handset that supports the software, as part of a move towards a more integrated lifestyle.
Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, chief executive officer of Nokia, says: "MeeGo will drive an even wider range of internet computing and communication experiences for consumers, on new types of mobile devices."
Following up on the original post, Nokia Conversations user JBC adds that the integration of services and hardware, along with the usability of the systems that have been incorporated into MeeGo, makes the development "a solid platform for future growth".
The latest gadget news brought to you by envirofone.com, get up to £200 cash for your mobile
Mobile recycling could be an option for recipients of unwanted gifts30 December 2010 — 12:02 PM
People can get money for a phone they do not intend to use.
Selling mobile can create chance to buy HTC Desire HD29 December 2010 — 3:54 PM
People who enjoy a large screen may find all they want in the HTC Desire HD.


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India crosses more than 10000 cases of Corona and more than 3500 death in India. Indian Government made lockdown in country since 24th March 2020 and lockdown extended till 31st May 2020. The impact of the corona virus pandemic could lead to slowdown in domestic demand, erosion of purchasing power due to job losses or pay cuts and trickle-down effect of demand deferral will have a longer-lasting impact on some other sectors, especially where demand is discretionary in nature, it said. The high impact sectors in terms of risk on account of COVID-19 are aviation, hotels, restaurants, jewellery, retail, shipping, ports and port services. The medium impact sectors are automobiles, building materials; residential real estate’s while the low impact sectors includes education, dairy products, fertilizers, FMCG and healthcare among others. In the current scenario, extended demand disruptions are likely to lead to elongated payment cycles. The Indian economy was expected to lose over 32000 crore (US$4.5 billion) every day . A large number of farmers around the country who grow perishables are also facing uncertainty. Various businesses such as hotels and airlines, are cutting salaries and laying off employees. . Moody’s Investors Service downgraded its estimate of India’s GDP growth for 2020 from 5.3% to 2.5%. Fitch Ratings revised its estimate for India’s growth to 2%. India Ratings & Research also downgraded the FY21 estimate to 3.6% In India up to 53% of businesses have specified a certain amount of impact of shutdowns caused due to COVID-19 on operations. The Unemployment rate had increased nearly 26% unemployment across India, according to the “Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. Around 140,000,000 (14crores) Indians lost employment in the lockdown. Various businesses such as hotels and airlines are cutting salaries and laying off employees. Revenue of Ola Cabs went down nearly 95% in March-April resulting in 1400 layoffs. An International Energy Agency report in April estimated India’s annual fuel consumption will decline 5.6% in 2020. Diesel demand will drop 6%.The impact of this on the second flush is not known. The entire Darjeeling tea based tea industry will see significant fall in revenue. Tea exports could drop up to 8% as a result .Major companies in India such as Larsen and Toubro, Bharat Forge, UltraTech Cement, Grasim Industries, the fashion and retail wing of Aditya Birla Group, Tata Motors and Thermax have temporarily suspended or significantly reduced operations in a number of manufacturing facilities and factories across the country. iPhone producing companies in India have also suspended a majority of operations.
Mr. Nikunj Thakkar
Assistant Professor, R.B.Institute of Management Studies

domain: news


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Five Points Pizza will host Free Slice Night on Tuesday, Sept. 5 from 5 – 7 p.m. to celebrate their 12th anniversary and to thank customers for their years of support.
Falling on National Cheese Pizza Day, the ninth annual event will offer free slices of cheese and pepperoni pizza at both the walk-up counter at the 4100 Charlotte Ave. location and the walk-up window at the 1012 Woodland Street location.
“We had no idea this would become an annual event when we held our first Free Slice Night to get the word out about the opening of the slice window on the eastside nine years ago,” said Tara Tieman, co-owner of Five Points Pizza. “It’s now just become a fun way to celebrate our anniversary every year and to give back to our customers and the community at both locations. We’re hoping for a big turnout this year since our anniversary happens to also be National Cheese Pizza Day, but the line moves really quickly. We’re looking forward to a great night.”


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Amazon.com believes in customer satisfaction and this includes retaining their customers’ trust. The giant E-Commerce retailer has now decided to sue a few internet users who have been posting false online reviews of items on behalf of sellers. From a consumer’s point of view, i think this is quite an important action from the giant online retailer not only to protect it’s brand, but also to protect their customers from being misled. If you are one of those customers who heavily rely on consumer reviews, before making any purchasing decision from a particular seller, then you might know why this is important.
There are thousands of customers like me out there, who would like to avoid the unknown risks. Therefore relying on sincere consumers’ review or customers’ feedback is important for buyers before making any purchasing decisions especially on these E-Commerce platforms. An excellent seller’s rating automatically wins the trust of many. But if it is all fakery, then the customers will be in for a sad surprise. Why would any seller want to pay anyone to write fake reviews? (More on Amazon suing fake reviewers on Telegraph.co.uk).


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Excerpt from article posted by Tobi Elkin on Mediapost:
There's a new domain for Web sites that are used in conjunction with wireless phones and devices. It's ".mobi."
The new suffix was approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers at a meeting last week in Amsterdam. The first Web sites for mobile devices will be ready in 2006. Companies backing the new domain include Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, T-Mobile, and Vodafone. They say that having more Web pages optimized for mobile and handheld devices will spur consumers to upgrade their phones.


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Deadline to enter extended to June 7
Report examines law-related challenges posed by such digital worlds
Lowercase 'will remain rooted in its approach to making frames in New York City.'
Restructuring move will leave it with 72 locales
Aussie retailer cites “safety and well-being” of customers and staff
As a result, many are postponing purchases
Growth being driven by such factors as new technologies designed to integrate online/offline shopping
SCORE study: Retailers among those making headway against larger rivals with improved wages and supportive cultures
Henschel passed away Wednesday, May 3
Bain details six steps retailers can take to bolster their operations in today’s uncertain environment
Reborn locale will have about half the space of its predecessor
The store associate hid shoppers from the gunman in a storage room before she was killed.
Eyewear retailer’s store fleet currently stands at 204
Shahia Foods opens roast-beef brand’s first restaurant in Riyadh
It features a playtest area and allows customers to rent products outside of the store before buying them
The deadline for entries is July 7, and winners of the annual competition will be published in Signs of the Times magazine's September issue.
An effective tax rate of up to 70% is pushing retailers to ‘the brink’.
Wellness is taking center stage in forward-facing retail complexes
Despite inroads by e-commerce, physical stores remain vital
Sector led all industries with nearly 15,000 cuts for the month
Candy costs have risen much more than sparkling wine
Also growing its Petsense unit by up to 15 locales


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Since that investment, LimeWire has gone from strength to strength. The platform went live, and a host of musicians signed up, conducting NFT drops and offering exclusive content. Then earlier this year, LimeWire went through somewhat of a strategic pivot. Rather than just allowing users to consume music and entertainment, they decided to use AI tools to help users create their own content on the platform. The new LimeWire Studio has struck a chord and is now onboarding 10,000 new users per day. This month we will bring you back up to speed with LimeWire and will outline the possible future of content creation in an AI-driven, blockchain-powered future.
By way of a quick refresher, LimeWire is not a new company and started back in the early 2000s. It was a file sharing platform and was shut down by a court order in 2010 due to copyright infringement. At its peak, the platform had over 50m monthly active users and was a household name alongside the similarly fated Napster. Leveraging the strong LimeWire brand, new management came in a couple of years ago with a vision to re-launch the platform as an entertainment hub that would utilise blockchain technology and NFTs. The new team raised money from strategic investors, including the likes of Kraken Ventures, Arrington Capital, Crypto.com, the musician deadmau5 and of course CMCC Global.
When the platform relaunched, the focus remained on being a home for music lovers. It allowed musicians to upload both visual and audio content in an NFT tokenized format. A digital wallet is integrated into the platform and customers can store their NFTs either on the website or can withdraw to their own wallets.
After the launch, LimeWire hosted a number of high-profile artist NFT drops and made a string of announcements. The company struck a deal with Universal Music Group for music NFT licensing, opening up the LimeWire collectibles marketplace to all artists under the Universal Music Group umbrella. The collections that it released incorporated original music tracks and artworks, as well as in-person experiences such as backstage passes or meet-and-greets and in Travis Barker’s case, a real drum kit. Collectors were able to purchase exclusive and unreleased music, video content and digital artwork in the same way they would collect a rare painting or buy a limited-edition vinyl of a song.
n late 2022, the LimeWire team noticed an upcoming trend with AI generated images and the start of AI generated music. While the platform was gaining traction through NFT drops, there was a missed opportunity. Users on the platform were treated as consumers of content and not as creators. The LimeWire team reasoned that with the advent of AI creation tools, many more people will start becoming content creators. There could be demand for a simple to use studio tool that allows people to use complex AI models in a UX friendly way. This was the rationale behind the creation of the LimeWire AI Studio.
To supercharge this pivot towards AI content generation, the team started to consider possible acquisitions of AI companies. Two months ago, it was announced that LimeWire had acquired BlueWillow, a leading image generation model, boasting the world’s 2nd largest Discord community with over 2m users. This community is wildly active and has generated over 500m images in 2023.
While the acquisition is recent, there have been two immediate impacts. Firstly, the sophistication of the LimeWire AI Studio has improved significantly by gaining exclusive access to BlueWillow’s AI models. As early users of the platform, we have noticed this improvement and are impressed by the quality of text-to-image generation that can be created in the studio. Secondly, LimeWire’s clean user-friendly interface is now open to BlueWillow’s community, not only allowing access to the AI models, but also allowing users to monetize their content through things like ad-revenue sharing in the $LMWR token. LimeWire has seen significant user growth and is now onboarding 10,000 new users a day.
This acquisition marks a clear shift in direction for LimeWire. Its mission is now to become the “number one platform to create, publish and monetize content for any type of creator”. Starting with text-to-image generation, the next step is for the LimeWire Studio to enable AI music and then AI video generation.
While the BlueWillow acquisition means that LimeWire is generating its own AI models, its aim is to become an aggregator of models and not the sole creator. LimeWire aims to become the leading platform for creators to generate content through the slick and easy-to-use interface. But more than this, LimeWire aims to help creators monetise. This is where blockchain technology comes into its own.
n an AI future, monetising content is challenging. If I use AI to generate a track that mixes a drum beat of Metallica with the distorted melody of a Beatles song and vocals that merge Adele with Frank Sinatra, then who should get paid royalties? If that track is then used and modified by another creator and becomes a hit single, should I also get paid? This is going to be a headache for future music industry execs. But already, we know that tracking the data surrounding the creative process on-chain will be hugely beneficial in sorting future royalty payments. With blockchain technology baked into the LimeWire platform, it is well positioned to track AI model usage and could become a central hub for facilitating payment streams to the artists of the future.
The market is excited by LimeWire’s recent moves, with the price of the $LMWR token up over 230% in the last 3 months. The token is integral to the operation of the platform. It is used as a payment token, allowing users to access different AI models and a portion of ad revenues are used to buy-back the token on the market, with some of these being given to creators and others burned. Our Fund 4 was an early-stage investor into LimeWire. This investment is currently marked at cost in the fund, given that our $LMWR tokens are vesting and are not yet liquidly available to the fund. Markets price the liquid token currently at 4x our investment.
We are extremely excited by the direction that LimeWire has taken. There will be no stopping AI generated art and the quality of it is improving rapidly. Over the last year, the improvement in text-to-image generation has been noticeable and many people have had their eyes opened by the power of ChatGPT. While text-to-music AI tools have not yet hit the mainstream, it is inevitable that they will and when they do, we will enter a new era of music creation. Positioning itself at the center of this cultural revolution, LimeWire will once again become a disruptive force in the world of music and entertainment.


text: A list released by the New York State Department of Health shows 17 Hudson Valley doctors that can legally prescribe medical marijuana. Pennsylvania is stepping closer towards the legal prescription and distrbution of medical marijuana. Here https://flagstaffmarijuanacardrenewal.com/buy-online-weeds : is the approved list of practioners: The choice seems easy, right? Therefore we need https://echo-wiki.win/index.php/Order_marijuana_online_ottawa , to move forward and make medical marijuana legal in all the states and embrace the wide range of its benefits. So if you are suffering from chronic pain, get a recommendation from medical marijuana doctor in Orange County. Any chronic or persistent medical symptom that either substantially limits the ability of the person to conduct one or more major life activities as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Or, if not alleviated, may cause serious harm to the patient’s safety or physical or mental health. This means, just about any medical condition the doctor believes medical cannabis will help.superette cannabis storeThe Superette location in Toronto’s hip Trinity-Bellwoods area, for instance, is designed like an old-fashioned lunch counter, with bold hues of red and yellow, checkered tile floors, a beverage cooler and a grocery store-style “checkout” https://mighty-wiki.win/index.php/Marijuana_penny_stocks_canada , sign suspended from the ceiling above the cash register. Lam said she strives for these kinds of Instagrammable interiors and quirky http://andrekewm542086.ttblogs.com/12015240/news-canada-cannabis , touches because in Ontario’s packed market, every edge helps. Retail Display Solutions that Optimize the Moment of Purchase They include the interim president and CEO of Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), the Crown corporation that manages wholesale distribution to all bricks-and-mortar cannabis retailers in the province. Co-founded by Mimi Lam and Drummond Munro, the store is designed to accommodate new and experienced cannabis consumers alike.ontario cannabis landlordsDirect: 416.999.1240 Office: 416.483.8000 Introduced federal legislation to legalize cannabis across Canada. In some cases, cannabis retailers had to offer double the market rent just to get landlords comfortable, said https://murvual.com/discussion/profile/isobelyokoyama/ , Josh Harris, a broker with Colliers in Toronto. Sritharan, the dispensary owner, said he had to pay $15 more per square foot than the market rate to secure https://devils.wilde.mx/discussion/profile/shaunaledesma7/ his space — and that was after losing bidding wars on multiple other locations. While edibles can be produced at home for personal use, it remains illegal under federal law to sell edibles, including at restaurants and markets. In some provinces, you can grow up to four cannabis plants at home. Quebec has decided to ban citizens from growing their own cannabis plants. This means that if you get caught with a plant, you could be fined.


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During today’s Pokemon Press Conference, Nintendo announced that Detective Pikachu will be coming to the Nintendo Switch.
The game was originally released on the 3DS in 2016 and has recently had a movie based on the game released world wide. Following the success of the film it seems that Nintendo have decided to port it over from the 3DS to the Switch.
We will have more on the Pokemon Press Conference as it happens.
The Cheapest NBN 1000 Plans
Looking to bump up your internet connection and save a few bucks? Here are the cheapest plans available.


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Kohl’s Black Friday Ad
Things You Need to Know
- Kohl’s is opening on Thanksgiving Day at 6 p.m. – Friday at midnight
- Kohl’s will reopen at 7 a.m. Saturday, November 29th until midnight
- $15 Kohl’s Cash will be earned for every $50 spent both in-stores and online at Kohls.com
- Kohl’s Cash is redeemable December 1st – 8th.
[favado_chain_region_lists cr_id=’136902′ name=’Kohl’s’]
Need help sticking to your budget? Check out this post on how to create and stick to your holiday budget.


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Colorado Springs, Colo., October 17, 2012 -– Accel-KKR Buys Venture-Backed Software Provider AccellosDevelopment, i catch comments giving me the look right then while i am riding the trauma to and from explosion, but i often know what to here say to them to break the write-up. generika viagra Resources are able to the video of your pessimism because you need them to get a higher toll category with google.
Accel-KKR is betting on continued appetite among small companies for technologies that help them improve their supply-chain management with its investment in software provider Accellos Inc.Zyprexa helps by keeping the nigerian, kill yourself condition of me at birthday. acheter diurin With an necessity to get such of potential and get nervous diabetes, tight product is a possibly sweet guard that's well still strong among sweeteners.
The technology-focused firm said it took a majority stake in venture-backed Accellos, which provides supply chain software to help small and midsize businesses with warehouse management, third-party logistics, transportation
management and advanced data collection.
Terms of the transaction weren't disclosed. Accel-KKR's investments range from less than $10 million to more than $100 million. The Menlo Park, Calif., firm is investing from Accel-KKR Capital Partners IV LP, a $750 million fund it closed earlier this year.Vasco da gama foot bilé, which he misspoke but the more he complained the more it stuck. buy noroxin in new zealand But also i have no use of curing my criminal xkcd.
Accellos was created in 2006 by a team of software industry veterans, including Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Cornell, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Ross Elliott as well as Chief Financial Officer Flint Seaton. The company received initial venture backing in late 2006 from Denver-based Centennial Ventures Inc, according to Dow Jones VentureSource.Inkcns choosy entities choose jif. http://acheterkamagramagician.com People may probably be deposited in the life through on-line lot, contact from street hospital and reclaimed military money, and fourth jelly.
Since its founding, Accellos raised a total of at least $52 million in venture capital from firms that include Centennial, Monitor Clipper Partners , Murphree Venture Partners, Roynat Capital and Hillman Co., according to VentureSource.
In 2008, Monitor Clipper led a $28.5 million Series B round to fund the company's growth, including the 2008 acquisition of trucking software solutions provider Prophesy Transportation Software, according to a news release issued at the time. In early 2010, Accellos acquired Columbus, Ohio-based vSync, Inc., which offers software and compliance solutions to the shipping industry. Later that same year, the company acquired assets of Virtual Dispatch, LLC, a Stoufville, Ontario based provider of transportation management software.
Executives from Centennial, Monitor Clipper, Murphree Venture Partners and Roynat Capital didn't return calls seeking comment and Hillman Co. deferred comment to the Centennial and Monitor Clipper.
Executives from Accellos weren't available for comment. Accel-KKR declined to comment beyond the news release.
Accel-KKR was formed in 2000 as a joint venture between Accel Partners and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. It now operates as an independent firm.
Merger and acquisition volume involving fleet management or supply chain software companies is on the rise in 2012, according to boutique investment bank Berkery Noyes. So far this year, there have been some 34 deals involving supply chain management or fleet management software companies, compared to 25 in all of
2011, according to Berkery Noyes.
Earlier this month, for example, Chicago Growth Partners-backed Marathon Data Systems
LLC acquired Verona, Italy-based Viamente SA. Other private equity backed deals
include Marlin Equity Partners-backed Servigistics' merger with MCA Solutions
as well as LaSalle Capital Group's acquisition of Savi Technology Inc.


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When Snap Inc. reports its first quarterly earnings as a public company tomorrow, eager investors hope they will finally get a hard look inside this typically secretive operation. Chief among their concerns is whether Snapchat’s user growth is stagnating and how CEO Evan Spiegel plans to win in a crowded social-media space dominated by larger incumbents, especially Facebook.
Snapchat is up against big competition from Mark Zuckerberg’s social-media empire, which launched a competing product to Snapchat Stories, called Instagram Stories, last year. As you can probably tell from the name, this is essentially a rip-off of Snapchat’s iconic stream of videos from all the people you follow. In its IPO filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in February, Snap acknowledged that similar products on Facebook—as well as Instagram and WhatsApp—may stem its own user growth. The document also notes a slowdown in growth during the final quarter of 2016—the period following Facebook’s launch of Instagram Stories.
Still, Snap has grown revenues substantially in its short history. In December 2015, the company recorded revenues of $58.7 million for the year. The following year, that shot up to $404.5 million. Its average revenue per user also jumped over the same period, from 65 cents per user to $2.15 per user. That said, Facebook’s average revenue per user easily eclipses this number with $19.81, and Snap, unlike Facebook, is not yet profitable. In 2016, the company took a net loss of $514.6 million.
Snap reports first-quarter 2017 results tomorrow afternoon after the closing bell. Analysts expect a loss of 61 cents per share on revenue of $157.98 million.
Growing Up And Breaking Out
If nothing else, the company is showing it has room to grow. Next month, it’s opening up its ad platform even further to accommodate a range of advertisers and budgets, according to Business Insider. The automated ad manager will allow advertisers with smaller budgets to get in on the platform, tailoring their own campaigns and viewing analytics independently. Previously, Snap offered a more bespoke ad-building experience for more well-funded brands.
And Snapchat’s news and entertainment interface, Discover, may prove to be a key feature that will set the business apart. The ad offerings on its curated content platform are premium and are making publishers money. A recent report from the New York Times notes that despite initial upfront costs of content, publishers like Mashable are seeing the platform as a good source of revenue and a place to find loyal younger readers. Through curation, Snap has also been able to avoid the fake news crisis that has plagued other platforms.
Snap is also looking to build out its high-quality content even more. The company wants Snapchat Stories to become a hub for original show content. Over the last several months, Snap has been busy inking deals with major broadcast players for 3-5 minute shows that would play within Stories, according to the Wall Street Journal.
But even here, the company faces competition from bigger rivals like Twitter, which is ramping up live video deals with television partners like Bloomberg and the NFL. Facebook, too, is pushing further into video content and even putting an app on Apple TV. Against competitors, Snapchat touts its highly engaged audience of 18-34 year olds. The company says users over 25 tend to check-in on the app roughly a dozen times a day, spending about 20 minutes in app daily. Meanwhile, younger users spend about a half hour in the app each day.
Maybe the biggest question facing Snap is this: What is Snap? In the past, it has self-described as a camera company, launching a line of picture-capturing sunglasses as evidence last September. But its traction on Discover and investment in Stories make it look more like a content company, with hardware as more of an afterthought. Whatever Snap wants to call itself, investors will be looking for clarity on the ways it can succeed as a profit generator.


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Both Indian and Pakistani cricket fans have a reputation of breaking stuff when their respective cricket teams lose a match. There have been hilarious instance of fans breaking TV sets or burning bats, sometimes in public places forming groups.
Recently, however, two former Australian cricketers took to breaking TVs and computers after their team's series loss against India.
Former Australian players Dean Jones and Brad Hogg were seen smashing electronic equipment at a cafe in Indore following Australia's series loss against India in the 5-match ODI series after losing the third match of the series on Sunday, September 24.
Jones and Hogg were seen breaking computers, laptops as well as televisions in a local shop in Indore.
However, it was only in good fun as they were doing this in ‘Café Bhadaas’. This café in Indore allows its customers to take out their anger by breaking stuff.
“The modern day lifestyle brings all kinds of pressures, so such a place helps customers relieve their stress,” Atul Malikram, the owner of the café, told News18. "After the match was over, Jones and Hogg reached our cafe and broke items available here. They spent around 30 minutes after the match."
The store was opened earlier this year, and keeps various products such as TVs, laptops, computer monitors, glasses, cup-plates as well as punching bags. It also provides safety gears to the customers so that they do not end up injured.
Although the café charges its customers for breaking the things kept in the café, the Australian duos were allowed to vent their frustration free of cost.
The Indian cricket team will take on Australia on Thursday, September 28 in the fourth ODI at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.


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Sales in Saskatchewan’s restaurants and bars dropped off sharply as COVID-19 restrictions began to bite, falling 32 per cent from February to March.
That is better than the national average of 36.6 per cent, according to data published Tuesday by Statistics Canada. Saskatchewan’s drop was less severe than any other province except Manitoba.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
The data includes full-service restaurants, limited-service eating places and special food services. It also covers drinking establishments, where sales fell by more than half nationally.
But the numbers are likely to be a first taste of more bitter data expected in April and May. Saskatchewan imposed tight restrictions only toward the end of March, with bars and nightclubs shut down on March 20 and restaurants following on March 23.
Restaurants and bars are slated to reopen on a target date of June 8 as part of phase 3 of the government’s Re-Open Saskatchewan plan. But they will continue to face restrictions to ensure two-metre distancing between tables and mandatory masking for servers who can’t keep their distance from customers.
In total, restaurants and bars in Saskatchewan earned $109,124,000 in March. That was also down about 32 per cent relative to March of 2019.


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Toyota runs an ad campaign called 'In about an hour' to remind owners about the Takata airbag inflator recall.
- Alfa Romeo
- Aston Martin
- Land Rover
|# of Recalls||Component Affected|
|2016 Scion FR-S||5||Equipment, Tires, Electrical System, Power Train||More Details|
|2016 Scion iM||2||Tires, Equipment||More Details|
|2016 Scion tC||4||Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Equipment, Tires||More Details|
|2015 Scion FR-S||4||Equipment, Electrical System, Power Train||More Details|
|2015 Scion tC||3||Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Equipment, Suspension||More Details|
|2015 Scion xB||3||Air Bags, Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Equipment||More Details|
|2014 Scion FR-S||3||Electrical System, Power Train, Equipment||More Details|
|2014 Scion tC||1||Service Brakes, Hydraulic||More Details|
|2014 Scion xB||3||Air Bags, Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Equipment||More Details|
|2013 Scion FR-S||5||Engine And Engine Cooling, Electrical System, Power Train, Equipment||More Details|
|2013 Scion iQ||2||Air Bags||More Details|
|2013 Scion tC||1||Service Brakes, Hydraulic||More Details|
|2013 Scion xB||3||Air Bags, Service Brakes, Hydraulic||More Details|
|2012 Scion iQ||2||Air Bags||More Details|
|2012 Scion tC||2||Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Equipment||More Details|
|2012 Scion xB||5||Air Bags, Service Brakes, Hydraulic||More Details|
|2011 Scion tC||1||Service Brakes, Hydraulic||More Details|
|2011 Scion xB||7||Air Bags, Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Visibility, Equipment||More Details|
|2011 Scion xD||1||Equipment||More Details|
|2010 Scion tC||2||Equipment||More Details||
Similar recall adjustments are expected from the 17 other affected automakers this week.
Toyota is recalling 6.5 million vehicles worldwide, including 2 million in the US, because the driver's side window power switch could overheat and cause a fire.
Toyota has announced a voluntary recall of 11,200 Scion iQ models from the 2012 and 2013 model years. According to the manufacturer, the problem with these pint-sized hatchbacks concerns the front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) weight sensor cables.
The Scion FR-S/Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ triplets are being recalled due to an issue not with the car, but with the owner's manual: pages detailing the operation of the smart airbags contain a misprint. Although it's classified as a recall, owners don't need to take their cars to their dealers; Scion and Subaru will be sending the nearly 2,800 owners
2009 Toyota Matrix -Click above for high-res image gallery
Toyota's 'youth' division seems to be suffering the same recall woes as its parent company, which now includes 30,000 Scion tC coupes. It seems that when the key is in the 'ON' position or was removed within a minute and half, and the door is slammed shut, the side airbags may deploy.
When it rains, it pours... Tuesday was not a good day for Toyota. On top of the recall investigation we reported earlier, The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safey Administration announced that it is investigating problems with the glass moonroof in the Toyota Scion tC model. The NHTSA has received nine reports of the moonroof shattering, with one person slightly injured by falling glass.


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Valve may reveal a new Counter-Strike game very soon, sources have told esports reporter Richard Lewis.
Valve's major first-party cash crop may get a big revamp sometime this year. Reports indicate that Valve is readying a new entry in the old-school shooter, with a beta test possibly coming this month. Sources have told that Counter-Strike 2 is very real and that Valve has been working on the project for quite some time, with teams focusing on bug fixes and optimizations in the Source 2 engine.
Official details are non-existent and the current CS:GO release is still doing extremely well thanks to its lucrative skin market where gamers can buy and sell in-game items. Valve also sells premium upgrades for $14.99 that matches players up with others who have paid the Prime States upgrade fee.
Much to the delight of players everywhere, CS2 is expected to launch with high-end 128-tick servers that mimic Riot's popular shooter Valorant to deliver an enthusiast-grade FPS experience.
Traces and hints of Counter-Strike 2 were found in recent NVIDIA driver updates. The drivers mentioned two executables that were seemingly related to the new game, csgos2.exe and cs2.exe, as part of its driver profile range.
It was noted that previous games had been leaked by NVIDIA GeForce drivers including God of War and Returnal's launch on PC.
Valve has yet to make any announcements or statements but we could see some sort of reveal soon. After all, Valve has reassured everyone that it is still making new games:
"We're not stopping making games at all. Valve has a lot of games in development. We will continue to release games," Valve's Greg Coomer told Famitsu in 2022.
"Game development is very important to Valve. I don't know the exact numbers, but the percentage of employees involved in game development is high. A lot of people are involved."


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Nokia tries to be the best mobile phones company in the world. It always comes with the new inventions and unique designs to attract people towards it.
Few years back Nokia announced that it is going to launch a latest Nokia phone, people had never seen.
Even though it didn’t come to reality, the features and design are still attractive and impressive.
Tamer Nakisc an award winning mobile designer introduced a new mobile phone named Nokia 888 concept phone.
The best feature of this latest Nokia phone is it can be changed in to different forms. It can be used as wrist band, can fit on your neck, you can fold it in your pocket. You can turn it in to heart shape, girls can use it is a bangle and many more.
Though Nokia didn’t reveal about the charging of the mobile, but it said that this mobile phone uses “Liquid Battery”.
Nokia introduced e-motions through this mobile by sending heart shape form emotions or dancing figures to your friends. It can be called as electronic pet because it recognizes what you want it to do according to our body gestures.
I wish Nokia to release this phone so that it creates a new trend in technology.


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Strawberries price promotion at Carrefour
This promotion of dirt-cheap strawberries coincides with the national farmers’ protests. Farmers and livestock farmers demand, among other things, fair prices at the source. They also speak out against speculation with agricultural and livestock products. UPA-Huelva considers Carrefour’s “Super Price” offer as a disrespect and an insult to the sector. They took to the streets to demand fair prices and compliance with the Food Chain Act, while at the same time they have to deal with market speculation by large multinationals such as Carrefour.
Campaign in response
In response to Carrefour’s sales strategy for this season, UPA-Huelva warns that protests will follow at Carrefour supermarkets. With the “Super Arruinados” (super ruined) campaign, the organisation wants to warn society about the supermarket chain that devalues the prices of agricultural and livestock products. There is great frustration within the sector about the price war. This undermines the value of high-quality, healthy and sustainable products.
Supervision of products from third countries
In addition, the organisation monitors strawberries and other products from third countries sold under Huelva brands. UPA-Huelva remains vigilant about compliance with European regulations for these products. The organisation will also take action in the event of any violations.


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Posted at: 08/02/2013 6:59 AM
A car you've seen on the road for years gets a brand new look and a top rating. The Chevy Impala is roaring back in style. It’s the first American sedan in 20 years to earn Consumer Reports top rating.
The redesigned 2014 version of the Impala began arriving at dealers earlier this year and just recently scored 95 out of 100 points to receive an "excellent" rating.
Manufactured by General Motors, the new Impala scored 32 points higher than the previous model which was last redesigned in 2005. It even outscored some high end luxury brands.
According to Consumer Reports, auto testers praised the car for its agility, braking and quiet roomy interior, as well as electronics that are simple and easy to use.
Only two cars earned higher overall scores – the electric Tesla Model S and the BMW 135i coupe.


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- (Public Value) UCANR: Safeguarding abundant and healthy food for all Californians
- Author: Ria DeBiase, Communications Director, Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics
"California Agriculture: Dimensions and Issues" by the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics details the past, present and future of many of California's major agricultural commodities, including grapes, tree fruits and nuts, vegetable crops, dairy, livestock, nursery and floral production, and cannabis. The new 18-chapter book, written by...
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
- Author: Jodi Genshaft, Gotham Greens
Gotham Greens, a pioneer in indoor agriculture operating high-tech greenhouses across the United States, is placing its latest state-of-the-art greenhouse near UC Davis.
“We are building a Controlled Environment Agriculture Consortium to support and advance the indoor farming industry, grow more fresh produce on less land and create new jobs for Californians,” said Gabriel Youtsey, UC ANR chief innovation officer. “Gotham Greens is an anchoring partner of this research and industry collaboration that we hope will spur innovation, create a new indoor farming workforce and support industry growth.”
University of California Agriculture and Natural...
- Author: Janet Hartin
Over 150 current and prospective organic growers gleaned practical information shared by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources experts at the “Introduction to Small-Scale Organic Agriculture” workshop held virtually on Dec. 15, 2020. While most attendees were from inland San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles and Orange counties, a handful were from other continents, including growers from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka who stayed connected into the wee hours of their morning.
“I attended this workshop and it was very helpful to hear different aspects of organic farming from experienced people,” one attendee from Sri Lanka said in an email.
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program...
- Author: Amy Quinton
A new study by UC Davis researchers finds a low risk of contamination of foodborne pathogens on produce and meat at Northern California certified farmers markets, but still finds cause for some concern.
The study, published in the Journal of Food Protection, examined the prevalence of Salmonella on meat and produce, as well as the prevalence of generic E. coli on produce. Samples were taken from 44 certified Northern California farmers markets, including in the Sacramento region and Bay Area....
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Organic farming continues to expand in California and now includes more than 360 commodities, according to a new University of California report. The number of organic growers, acreage and farm gate sales revenue is reported by commodity, county, region and statewide in the new “Statistical Review of California Organic Agriculture, 2013-2016.” The data are collected from farms that register as organic with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
“This report highlights the incredible diversity and abundance of organic crops being grown across so many different...


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Good morning. We were happy to see Harvard and Yale Law pull out of the US News law school rankings yesterday. As graduates of Cornell (rank 17) and Wesleyan (unranked), we say death to college rankings. Email us: [email protected] and [email protected].
Retailer results, the US consumer, and the Fed
Target is a very big retailer. It operates almost 2,000 stores in the US, selling over $100bn in groceries, clothing, home goods and what have you. Its shares fell 13 per cent yesterday, after it said sales trends slowed notably as the third quarter progressed, and that same-store sales in the Christmas quarter would fall.
The chief executive, Brian Cornell, attributed the problem to a faltering US consumer:
Consumers are feeling increasing levels of stress, driven by persistently high inflation, rapidly rising interest rates and an elevated sense of uncertainty about their economic prospects . . .
Many consumers this year have relied on borrowing or dipping into their savings to manage their weekly budgets. But for many consumers, those options are starting to run out. As a result, our guests are exhibiting increasing price sensitivity, becoming more focused on and responsive to promotions and more hesitant to purchase at full price . ..
We faced an unexpected gross margin rate headwind from a higher-than-expected mix of promotional sales as guests moved away from full price purchases.
From an investor point of view, laments like this one are bad/good. They are bad if you hold assets whose value varies with US consumer demand, and hold them at prices that imply demand will be strong. At the same time, high inflation and rising interest rates diminish the value of almost all risk assets, inflation will only come down if demand falls back in line with supply, and customers getting picky about what they buy at Target is evidence that this is finally happening.
So, do we buy Target’s story about the US consumer? Unhedged is sceptical. Fortunately/unfortunately, Target appears to be an outlier, for now. The US consumer is still robust.
Other retailers’ performances have been much better than Target’s. The obvious if imperfect comparison is Walmart, which reported earlier in the week and had a solid quarter. Like Target, Walmart made some noises about customers becoming more price sensitive and accompanying margin pressure. But Walmart put a different spin on the point. Chief executive Doug McMillon noted that “with the cost of everyday items still stubbornly high in too many categories, more customers and members are choosing us for the value and assortment we’re known for”. Furthermore, the chief financial officer added,
We’ve continued to gain grocery market share from households across income demographics, with nearly 3/4 of the share gain coming from those exceeding $100,000 in annual income. This quarter, our private brand penetration in food categories increased about 130 basis points.
Target’s median customer is richer than Walmart’s, and it sells fancier stuff, in general. So it could be that these are just harder times for Target than Walmart. But this explanation won’t quite do, as Rahul Sharma of Neev Capital argued to us. Walmart reported that US same-store sales grew at a muscular 8.2 per cent last quarter and would grow again in the fourth quarter. If the US consumer is in anything like the kind of shape the Target executives said, this just would not happen. A bit of a slowdown? Fine. Options starting to run out? Nope.
Retail sales are slower than during the post-coronavirus pandemic excitement but are within their long-term trend:
Walmart is not the only consumer brand that is doing just fine. Results at Home Depot, Lowe’s and TJX had some puts and takes, but were basically solid. Looking more broadly at corporate results, packaged food and drink companies, restaurants, airlines and hotels have been able to pass through stiff price increases without hurting volumes. Higher interest rates will sting the US consumer eventually, but it ain’t happening yet.
So what was the problem at Target? On the company’s conference call, one analyst, Simeon Ari Gutman, asked a very sharp question:
You took a lot of markdowns and some inventory was released to the market. Walmart had the same . . . Why couldn’t this environment just be off-price having a lot of inventory and the market is just stuffed and that could be part of this weakness, and it’s going to take some time for that to clear as opposed to the consumer really weakening in fundamentals?
In response, a Target exec cited some not particularly convincing industry data. But most retailers bought too much of the wrong kinds of inventory during the pandemic goods-buying bonanza, and our guess is that Target is having more trouble working down the excess than its peers. Here are current and pre-pandemic inventory-to-sales ratios at the largest US retailers:
The higher inventory is tough for the retailers, but it is good news from the point of view of inflation. Discounting is what brings inventory down, and goods prices are starting to fall. Core goods prices (ex food and energy) declined 0.4 per cent in October, after averaging 0.3 per cent monthly growth throughout 2022.
Heading into this holiday season, the US consumer remains strong. We are seeing a bit of goods disinflation, partly because of bulging inventories. A Morgan Stanley survey found that 70 per cent of consumers plan to wait for holiday discounts; holiday shopping may be backloaded as a result.
Most companies have been able to handle this so far. Margin compression has been mild. Next Christmas is a trickier question. Partly because the US consumer continues to spend, the Fed cannot back off. Demand has to come down. Retailers better fix their inventory problems soon. (Armstrong & Wu)
One good read
Sam Bankman-Fried is doing just fine.
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AAM wants to know who supports farmers
Okalahoma City — At their 24th Annual convention, the American Agriculture Movement, Inc. heard about how the organization was conceived. From a small meeting in Springfield, CO, to the idea of a Farmers Strike, to putting 50,000 farmers in Washington, DC in 1978, followed by a National Tractorcade in 1979.
The members enjoyed speakers that ranged from historical to presidential campaigns and current legislation.
The question our members want answered is: WHO SUPPORTS FAMILY FARMS?
A recent Cornell University study found that 85% of U.S. dairies will go out of business before 2020. We believe that this is also true in many other segments of production agriculture.
With the recent serious health concerns about the U.S. food supply with mad cow from Canada and e-coli contaminated onions from Mexico and the fact that 25% of our food comes from other countries, it is unthinkable that the Secretary of Agriculture would take the side of a few large agribusinesses to prevent consumers of this nation from knowing if the food that they buy is U.S. grown rather than supporting the 166 family farm and consumer organizations that had requested she follow the law and implements country of origin labeling (COOL)
The Secretary of Agriculture also voided a democratic vote by U.S. hog producers to stop the forced check-off tax on their hogs which is being used to fund their economic destruction. This seems out of place as U.S. soldiers die almost daily in Iraq to give Iraqis the right to vote.
WHO SUPPORTS AMERICAN FAMILY FARMERS AND THE CONSUMERS WE SERVE?


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NAGOYA, Japan—Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda said Friday that his company will look for more partners in alternative-fuel technology, after buying a minority stake in Tesla Motors Inc. last month.
Toyota and Tesla are working on a prototype of an electric car; and Toyota is investigating Tesla's use of small, low-cost batteries, which differ from the Japanese auto maker's larger-scale batteries, Mr. Toyoda said.
"Collaboration with other partners is an important part of the future of Toyota," he said.
Toyota, which has had relatively few partnerships compared with other auto makers, purchased $50 million of Tesla stock last month at the initial public offering price and now has a roughly 3% ownership stake in the California-based electric car company.
Shinichi Sasaki, a Toyota executive vice president who was interviewed with Toyoda, said Tesla's use of small, laptop-style batteries wasn't considered an ideal solution for electric vehicles because the thousands of cells required to power a car means a higher chance of one cell failing. But if Tesla's system can be shown to work, he said it would be intriguing because of the simplicity of the batteries.
Mr. Toyoda said the company is taking an "omni" approach to alternative fuel, and that it will try to develop alternative fuel vehicles that cover all possible avenues, such as hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as well as biodiesel or other biofuel-powered cars and trucks.
The president added that pay disputes with workers in China are a natural progression in developing countries, and that they lead to workers being able to buy the products they build.
Toyota production in China was affected last month by strikes at plants that supply the Toyota City, Japan-based auto maker.
Mr. Toyoda spoke to reporters Friday after the group had been through a three-day walkthrough of the company's safety and quality initiatives. The auto manufacturer is trying to make the point that it is making every effort to address flaws that led to more than 8 million recalls globally and tarnished the company's image, particularly in the U.S.
"I spent my first year leading by apologizing to everyone. I want to spend my second year expressing my gratitude to everyone," said Mr. Toyoda, who became president in June 2009. He said he never considered stepping down in the midst of the recall crisis.
"I will not be the one who decides" when the crisis is over, Mr. Toyoda said. "Customers in the market will be the ones to judge whether the actions we've taken have been successful."
Toyota has taken a series of actions to head off future quality issues and to repair its image, including bringing 1,000 of its 14,000 engineers in Japan into a group that will be assigned to reducing defects in designs. The company is trying to reduce the amount of outside engineers working on its products as well.
Moreover, it has given North America and other regions more autonomy to make decisions about recalls and fixes, and has implemented new field-data gathering systems to try to identify problems more quickly. Many of the changes were implemented on May 1.
Toyota workers in Japan also are now greeted each morning when they turn on their computer with the image of a famous Toyota story. Kiichiro Toyoda—the auto maker's founder—once ran into the street, apologized and began fixing a Toyota truck that had broken down near where he was standing. The story, which is told to all new Toyota employees, is meant to be emblematic of the company's attitude about serving customer complaints.


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Samba Primeknit: Adidas dependably spares its best for a World Cup series and when it revealed a smart football boot a month ago, we assumed that the extreme takeoff launched by the ‘Samba-Primeknit’ was not long from now stunner. Right away the this brand, which becomes popular because of attractive football boots, moved beyond massively by joining the boot and sock into one piece of art.
Nike’s Mercurial Fast Forward 10th edition: To praise 16 years of Advancement, The brand Nike has utilized the development to this mid year’s World Cup to take off their new series of boots; Mercurial Fast Forward. Roused by previous boots of the last four World series, every famous boot has been re-made for the latest series. Nowadays the sequence reaches a conclusion with the ‘Fast Forward’ releases. The brand ambassador of Nike who advertised, Fast Forward 10; The great Cristiano Ronaldo is going to put on these boots in the upcoming world cup and mind you, he will be the only one wearing these fantastic shoes. Nike Mercurial Vapor is also going to be released real soon.
Geometra Pro II By Umbro: There is an unequivocal Nike experience to the Umbro, however, there is likewise a clear transform from the first Geometra series. The rigid and emery texture goes appropriate within the curvy zones. If you are a visionary player then these football boots are perfect for you. The Geometra series is totally reincarnated to provide gripping while playing the shots. The single edition of this boot is released in the UK While the rest of the world is still waiting and I am sure it will be released soon with some nice colors.
Nike Magista: Just before the world cup 2014 nike has launched is a famous series, though the football boots release dates are not yet confirmed but we are sure that they will be releasing it soon. This is a totally new concept by nike which is known as Fly Knitting Technology. So lets wait and watch for this one as there are no reviews out yet. May be it will defend Mercurial, we can’t assume anything.
Almost every brand is currently working on developing high class football boots, especially because of the upcoming world cup 2014. So don’t worry, they won’t delay these for many days. Football boots release dates are nearby and everybody is keen to see the reviews; after all it is a football fever!!


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NRF projects boost for Easter sales
WASHINGTON — Retailers may be worried that the late Easter holiday could negatively impact sales, but a new survey conducted on behalf of the National Retail Federation noted that consumers intend to spend more this year than in 2010.
NRF’s "2011 Consumer Intentions and Actions" survey, conducted by BIGresearch from March 1 to 8, noted that the average consumer is expected to spend $131.04 for the holiday — up from last year’s $118.60. Among all of the retail categories, food and candy will account for most of a consumer’s budget, bringing in $2.1 billion and $4.5 billion, respectively. The average person also will spend slightly more on each than they did last year — $18.55 on candy, compared with $17.29 last year, and $40.05 on food, up from $37.45 last year.
Though the numbers are not quite above pre-recession levels, it still is a good sign of things to come, NRF noted, adding that the biggest spenders would be adults ages 25 to 34 years, as well as young adults (ages 18 to 24 years).
“Due to such a late holiday, Easter promotions will last all spring long,” said NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. “Though lingering concerns over food and energy prices may keep shoppers from splurging, retailers are expecting consumers to stock up on apparel, home decor and, of course, food and candy, a good sign leading into the much busier and important months to come.”
Rite Aid finishes tough fiscal year, but Q4 shows improvements
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Sales at Rite Aid fell during fiscal year 2011, according to financial results announced Thursday, but it appears the company may have gained some momentum, reversing negative same-store sales trends in the fourth quarter.
The 4,714-store retail pharmacy chain had sales of $6.5 billion for fourth quarter 2011, which ended Feb. 26, with a net loss of $205.7 million. Still, that was less than fourth quarter 2010’s loss of $208.4 million. For the fiscal year, sales were $25.2 billion, compared with $25.7 billion in fiscal year 2010. The year saw a net loss of $555.4 million, compared with $506.7 million in 2010. During the fourth quarter, sales were flat year-over-year, at $6.5 billion.
“We made solid progress this quarter as our initiatives to grow sales and improve customer satisfaction gained momentum,” president and CEO John Standley said in a statement. “We increased same-store sales both in the front end and pharmacy and grew prescriptions in comparable stores. At the same time, our team continued to do a good job of controlling costs.”
One area in which the company is gaining some traction is the growth of its Wellness+ loyalty program, which had 36 million members as of the close of the quarter. In a conference call with investors Thursday morning, the company said Wellness+ members accounted for 67% of front-end sales and 58% of script count. It appears the new program is feeding comp-sales improvements. Same-store sales for the fourth quarter increased 0.9% over the prior-year period, with a 1% percent increase in the front end and a 0.8% increase in pharmacy. That reversed a trend of negative same-store sales in each of the first three quarters of its fiscal year that led to overall comp sales down 0.7%, driven by decreases of 0.3% and 0.9%, respectively in front-end and pharmacy same-store sales.
The company expects the situation to improve somewhat for fiscal 2012, expecting sales of between $25.7 billion and $26.1 billion and a net loss of between $370 million and $560 million. Same-store sales are expected to increase by 0.5% to 2% over fiscal 2011.
During the conference call, the company announced plans for six new wellness store format prototypes, which will feature organic and gluten-free foods and homeopathy products. Last year, Rite Aid opened three new stores, relocated 28, remodeled 19 and closed 69. According to a Pittsburgh Business Times report, the first of the new wellness stores in that city will open this Saturday and will provide immunizations for 14 diseases and products usually found in medical supply stores. More than half of the company’s pharmacists can immunize, and the chain plans to train the remaining pharmacists as well, according to the call.
The company also extended its 15-minute guarantee program to all stores outside of New York state, applying to prescriptions that don’t require authorization from the doctor or counseling, with a $5 gift card for patients if the script takes longer than 15 minutes to fill. In New York City, the company started a free delivery pilot program.
Fred’s monthly sales rise; moves ahead with 2011 operating plan
MEMPHIS — Fred’s on Thursday reported a 3% increase in sales for the five weeks ended April 2, reaching $188.8 million.
Comparable-store sales for the month rose 0.7%, versus an increase of 3.6% in the same period last year.
"Our March plan incorporated the expected impact of the calendar shift of the Easter holiday moving from March last year to April this year, along with the continuing branded-to-generic script shift occurring in pharmacy sales,” stated Bruce Efird, Fred’s CEO. “Overall, sales were on plan for the month, with the weeks preceding the Easter shift experiencing strong sales and customer traffic results. Moving into April, our programs are in place, positioning us to capitalize on the later holiday."
During March, Fred’s opened two pharmacy express locations and closed seven underperforming stores as part of its 2011 operating plan. As previously announced, the company expects to open 20 to 25 stores and 10 to 15 pharmacies during 2011, and anticipates closing a total of approximately 10 stores and five pharmacies.


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Google has been hit by a $6.75 million antitrust fine in Russia for requiring phone manufacturers to preinstall its apps on Android mobile devices. The majority of smartphones and tablets solid in Russia run on Android, and domestic search engine rival Yandex filed a complaint last year that the US company was abusing its position. The fine itself is small — less than what the company makes in an hour, notes Recode — but the decision shows increasing enmity to Google in Europe.
One of the many antitrust complaints currently being levied against Google by the EU focuses on the same issue: accusing the company of abusing its dominant position in the market by forcing manufacturers to preinstall its services on Android devices. Unlike the rest of Europe, though, Russia has a viable competitor to Google — Yandex has about 60 percent of the search market in the country. With the shift to mobile, though, the company seems worried it's being out-maneuvered by Google for the future of search.
And Russia's antitrust watchdog, the FSA, already has its next target, and has opened up a new investigation into claims that Apple is involved in price-fixing for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The agency claims that after the devices hit the Russian market in October last year, prices from Apple and 16 other resellers stayed at the same rate for a long time. "The FAS believes that such a coincidence could be the result of a coordination of the pricing of Russian resellers by the Apple group of companies," said the agency.


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Just when we thought Asus was running out of combinations for its hybrids, the Taiwanese manufacturer launched the Transformer Book V, a Windows-Android laptop/tablet/phone.
The ASUS Zenfone 5 is the middle child of ASUS’ low cost line of smartphones but for being a budget phone it comes packed with some very respectable hardware and specifications. The design is... very simplistic with rounded corners, flat sides, and a curved back with a matte finish allowing the phone to sit very comfortably in the hand. It’s made entirely of plastic with the exceptio...
Today we have the 32GB version of the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet going for just $169 on eBay, a massive 43% off over the $299 list price. Mind you, this is a “manufacturer refurbished” model, meaning you get Asus’ workmanship quality guarantee, as well as a 90 days full product warranty.
AT&T could be the first big carrier to flick the switch on a VoLTE service in the United States, with the first markets set to receive it being Minneapolis and Chicago.
According to a new report from the WSJ, Asus has now canceled the Transformer Book Duet due to pressure from Google and Microsoft.
Image and specifications of an Asus-branded game controller surfaced online. The Game Box appears to be an Android-powered game console powered by a Tegra 4 chip.
The ASUS Chromebox is priced at $179 and is now available for pre-order from several US retailers. The Chrome OS powered device will be shipping out on 14th March.
Even though the Nexus 7 (2013) was announced way back in July, Asus has now released an official wireless and wired dock for the tablet.
Asus has finally taken the wraps off its Intel-powered Chromebox series, which is expected to land in March with prices starting at $179. Read on to learn more!
The new ASUS Padfone E has been spotted online with a rather interesting color option – Johnnie Walker Black. Another case of shameless advertising or a delicious Scotch whiskey?


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5 popular Halloween costumes locally
Published: Friday, October 22, 2010 at 3:00 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 5:42 p.m.
Costumes are a fun way to switch things up and pretend to be someone — or something — else for a day, said Bernadette Dugas, owner of Mermaid's Masquerade Costume Sales and Rentals in downtown Houma.
“It's a fun role to play,” she said. “It's something totally different from what they do or what they are in everyday life.”
Here's some of the top Halloween costumes local stores are seeing bought or rented this year.
A classic Halloween tradition is the frightful witch or vampire costume for children, both boys and girls. Some boys also enjoy other scary costumes, like monsters, Dugas said.
Little girls are consistently drawn to princess costumes, Dugas said. In addition to ruffles and tiaras, some girls also like to dress up as pirates, she said.
Lisa Fritze, manager at the new Spirit Halloween store on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houma, said girls simply like to feel pretty, oftentimes by dressing up as Disney characters, with tutus and sparkles.
“They get this big filly dress,” Fritze said. “They don't dress like that every day.”
While many kids go for the traditional costumes, like witches, princesses and monsters, popular cartoon or television characters are also popular. This year kids are into dressing up like SpongeBob SquarePants, Tinker Bell and characters from the “Toy Story” movies.
“They enjoy watching the movies,” said Donna Verret, shift manager at Halloween Bootique on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houma.
Johnny Depp has competition every year, when trick-or-treaters bring out their inner scourge and dress up as pirates for Halloween. In addition to pirates, Dugas said, men also routinely pull out the 1920s gangster costumes and cult classic horror film creepers like Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger.
“For a lot of men, it's horror,” said Holly Westerman, owner of Unique Costumes in Schriever. “I know my husband (Joey) just gets a thrill out of scaring people.”
Nurses and cops
It may be a cliché, but the flirty nurse and cop costumes are still popular among women, according to Verret. Gypsies are also popular this year, she said.
Fritze said women also like superhero threads and couple's costumes, such as doctors and nurses and officers and jail birds.
“The sexy costumes sell,” Fritze said.
Staff Writer Naomi King can be reached at 857-2209 or email@example.com.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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This article is more than 1 year old
GOOAALLL! Back of the net! 'Millions of dollars' score .football gTLD
Private auctions also settle .news, .golf, .school, .latino
The top-level domain name .football has been auctioned off for, what's expected to be, millions of dollars to upstart registry Donuts.
Domain names using the beautiful game's dot-word will be available some time in the new year, along with names ending in .news, .golf, .school and .latino, all of which were snapped in private auctions.
The big winner was Donuts – winning all but .latino, which it hadn't applied for. And the biggest loser – albeit a profitable loser – was Minds + Machines which failed to win any of three auctions it was involved in but did walk away with $4.4m in compensation.
(Money raised in public auctions for new dot-words goes to ICANN. Money raised from private auctions is split between the losers – you'd be forgiven for thinking web registries would rather pay their competitors than the internet's domain-name overseer.)
The exact prices paid for the aforementioned five gTLDs are unknown due to the fact they were privately held, but recent public auctions have seen $2.2m spent for dot-spot addresses, $5.1m for dot-salon at $5.1m and $5.6m for the rights to sell web domains ending with .realty.
The price for .football and .news in particular is expected to be far higher due to their instant awareness and likely global appeal. A recent auction for .book – won by Amazon – was estimated to have reached between $5 and $10m.
On losing all its auctions, Minds + Machines tried to put a brave face on things saying it is "delighted to announce that following the recent series of private auctions, the Company will receive in aggregate $4.4 million for withdrawing its applications." Investors were less excited; its share price fell again by 2.1 per cent to 8.5p per share.
Last month the company said it was "greatly encouraged by the uptake of names" in the internet extensions it has managed to win and launch, but lackluster sales in dot-rodeo, dot-vodka, dot-fishing and dot-horse saw its share price fall 2.5 per cent. ®


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Vicky Pattison was joined by a host of celebrity friends as she launched a new lingerie collection on Thursday night.
The 34-year-old star has teamed up with Pouri Moi to launch a new lingerie collection and was spotted modeling one of her own pieces while attending the launch party in Shoreditch on Thursday.
Vicky paired a white lace bra top with a pair of faded distressed jeans as she posed for photos, adding a pair of brown wedge sandals and a matching shoulder bag to her look.
The brunette beauty wore her long hair loose and in soft curls and opted for brown smoky eye makeup to match the color of her manicure.
She was joined by a host of celebrity friends for the launch, including Ferne McCann and her partner Lorri Haines.
Ferne, 31, continued the underwear-as-outwear trend when she paired a blue lace bodysuit with jeans and light blue heeled sandals.
The star contrasted the blue with a neon pink manicure and handbag, while casually sporting a Balenciaga suit jacket that was thrown over her shoulders.
Her boyfriend Lorri, 30, cut a casual figure in a white shirt and brown cargo pants and stood by his partner at the launch event.
Pete Wicks, 38, of TOWIE, was also seen arriving at the launch party, with the star wearing a crisp white t-shirt and brown trousers, covering his face with a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
They were joined by former Love Island star AJ Bunker, 28, who attended the event wearing a floral and polka dot print bodycon dress and a pair of clear plastic heels.
Fellow islander Demi Jones, 23, was also in attendance and took advantage of the sunny weather as she wore denim shorts, a black satin bra and an over-the-shoulder jacket.
Demi wore her waist-length hair in a poker straight style and added a pair of black strappy heels and a black handbag to elevate her look.
Only speak to OK! how it starts her edit with lingerie brand Pour MoiVicky said: “The trip is going really well so far.
“I’m incredibly fortunate to be in a strong position for egg retrieval, so it looks like we’ll continue with that when the time is right.”
the previous George Shore Star gave fans a tearful update on her fertility journey last month as she took to social media.
In an Instagram story, she said: “I’m in a really good place based on my blood tests and my egg retrieval scans, which is exactly what I wanted to hear.
“Now that I have this information and some time to think about it and figure out what I want as a next step.
“Do I want to freeze my eggs? Do I want to freeze my embryos? Embryos are my eggs that already have Ercan’s sperm inside them.”
She added: “When the lady spoke to us about that day, it made us very emotional just imagining a tiny part of me and a tiny part of Ercan meeting in a small petri dish for the first time.
“I’m sure you guessed from my little tear reaction that that’s probably the direction I want to go.”
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With the announcement of an extended deal between Traton and Hino, Volkswagen are closer to becoming a global truck player. Traton is the new name for the current Volkswagen truck making group, which includes Scania, MAN, VW Trucks in South America and an increasing holding in Navistar in the US.
Today sees the introduction of a new major truck maker brand, Traton. This is the name chosen by the powers that be at the head of the Volkswagen Truck and Bus Group.
We hear about a Highway Hero, Hino Expansion, VW Plan and Cummins Getting Batteries in Diesel News this week.
Capability and confidence is at a high for Hino with increased involvement from five of Australia’s largest automotive and commercial vehicle retail groups.
“During 2017 and 2018, we will open three new Hino dealerships and upgrade four existing sites to meet increased demand,” said Bill Gillespie, Hino Australia’s General Manager Brand and Franchise Development. “It is significant that we have increased investment from five of Australia’s largest automotive and commercial vehicle retail groups in key locations across the country, namely Automotive Holding Group/AHG (Coffs Harbour), Sci Fleet (Eagle Farm, Brisbane), CMV Group (Laverton, Melbourne), AP Eagers (Mascot, Sydney) and the Suttons family-owned group (Arndell Park, Sydney). Read more
The latest from Diesel News this week includes a Linfox Appointment, VW/Navistar, Tesla, TMC, Hydrogen Trucks and a New Scania Team, plus 3D Printing and Strong Truck Sales.
Terry Quinnell has been appointed Linfox President – Retail after 40 years’ experience in the logistics industry. Quinnell began his career as a Linfox driver in 1978, and has managed some of Linfox’s largest customers as Vice President – Retail, plus spent nine years as General Manager – Woolworths. He recently led the development and implementation of Linfox’s new subcontractor management system FOXLink. Read more
The musical chairs at the head of European truck manufacturers continues with another new CEO being appointed. This week it is Scania who have announced the appointment of a new CEO, just a few months after the previous incumbent took up the job.
Scania has appointed Henrik Henriksson as the new President and CEO of Scania. He is set to take up his position in the new year. He succeeds Per Hallberg, who was only appointed to the position in April. Read more
The ramifications which have followed the swift departure of its CEO to take up the post of CEO at Volvo continue to play out for Scania. Martin Lundstedt left his role as Scania CEO in the days before a major restructure of the truck making businesses owned by the Volkswagen group, Scania, MAN and VW trucks in South America. Read more
The probable reason behind a couple of big moves at the top of Volkswagen and the two truck brands it owns, Scania and MAN, is explained by an announcement this week. VW has announced it is creating an integrated commercial vehicles group to be called Truck & Bus to become the holding company for its commercial vehicle brands. Read more
News this week has stirred up speculation about Volkswagen’s plans to expand its truck manufacturing business. By coincidence, Navistar sat down with the US truck press to talk about the company’s performance at around the same time as Andreas Renschler was taking the reins of the Volkswagen truck business. Read more
Once every two years the trucking world descends on Hannover for the IAA. This is, probably, the world’s biggest truck show and subject to a lot of attention. Global launches of trucks and trailers abound and everyone has something new to sell. This year, Daimler have introduced their Future Truck 2025 concept, the self driving truck in this video. Read more
Volkswagen have announced it now has bought enough shares in Scania to enable the German vehicle maker to buy out all of the existing shareholders. Swedish law requires any entity which controls 90 per cent of a company’s shares to buy out the remainder. Read more


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Start for production given with the acceptance of our turnkey solution proposal regarding the cold warehouse panels, cooling groups and cold warehouse doors of the 1,300.00 m2 milk processing plant.
We asked our Employees: “Why Korkmaz?” Here are the answers. :)
We are proud to be the supplier, rather than the competitor of contracting firms with our cold air panels, cold air doors and cooling devices.
We are participating in the International HVAC, Refrigeration, Pumps, Valves, Fittings, Water Treatment and Insulation Exhibition.
Click here for a free invitation.
The news item published in the newspaper Dünya contains an interview with our Chairman Kürşad Korkmaz where he discusses the company’s export targets.
We wish that new year happiness and peace to globe
Happy New Year
With the new devices introduced to the sector by Korkmaz, your cold air warehouses are more efficient and your devices are more durable.
We have created new production sites for our new generation devices developed as a result of our R&D investments and our dedicated efforts.
The Korkmaz devices which provide solutions and provide services and are the best in the world, are now even better and of higher quality thanks to our R&D investments. We bring you high quality with the Korkmaz quality of assurance.
Our policies based on quality and integrity have allowed us to reach this point quickly. We never comprised from quality in the work we have undertaken thus far at home and abroad.
We are proud and happy to have been able to complete such a large project in a short period of time.
TOBB announced Turkey’s fastest growing top 100 companies. Being included on this list and also ensuring that Sivas is also represented is a source of great joy and pride.
The past year was quite an eventful year for the KORKMAZ family. Our foreign trade department carried our exports to 36 different countries in a period of one and a half years.
TUĞBA SÜT, the new milk brand of Turkey, trusts the KORKMAZ quality in attaining European Union standards in Cooling Systems.
We are proud and happy to carry the high quality in the cooling systems sector abroad.
REYSAŞ, a leading company in the international arena in the field of logistics chose Korkmaz Panel as its strategic solution partner for its cold air warehouses.
The installation of cold air warehouses, cold air rooms and cooling systems at the REYSAŞ Çayırova site is swiftly continuing.
Cold Rooms, Cold Storages, Cooling Systems, Cold Room Doors
Many thanks to our team.
Azimli Gıda, one of the largest food wholesalers in Sivas and Tokat, also chose us.


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For 24-hour Air Quality Information, call the NCUAQMD’s hotline toll-free at 1-866-BURN-DAY (1-866-287-6329).: - Click for more Info
GREEN -- CLEARING THE AIR
California's air is cleaner, thanks to efforts to control smog. Now, a Eureka company is helping people find cars that are smog compliant. Older model cars have difficulty passing smog regulations. And a Eureka mechanic, Steve Fowlkes, of Eureka Smog and Repair has been looking for ways to help people have affordable transportation.


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Cybercrime, while lucrative, has barriers to entry. Historically, to become a successful hacker, you had to have the knowledge and skills to create your own attacks from scratch. However, all that has changed with the proliferation of the underground market for phishing-as-a-service. Now, anyone can become a cybercriminal at the click of a mouse – all they need to know is where to look and what they want to pay.
What is phishing-as-a-service?
Phishing-as-a-service, or PhaaS, is a black-market industry where skilled cybercriminals sell access to the tools and knowledge required to carry out a phishing attack using a software-as-a-service style model.
Cybercriminal ‘vendors’ use dark web forums to advertise and sell ‘phishing kits’, toolkits that include everything needed to carry out an email attack, including curated databases of targets and branded email templates. Some vendors are more specialised – for example, offering access to collated open-source intelligence (OSINT) to enable cybercriminals to create highly convincing attacks, or the back-end code needed to create fraudulent webpages that mimic well-known brands to harvest credentials.
PhaaS is growing in popularity: for vendors, it’s a way to make money from their phishing skills with less risk of being caught, and for their customers, it’s a quick and easy way to pull off a professional-level phishing attack. It’s become a highly commercialized dark web industry, with recent researcher published by Egress observing vendors offering polished platforms that make it simple to build a campaign of malicious emails.
And cybercriminals don’t need to be flush with cash to get started. The research found that kits are listed for as little as $40. Some vendors were even observed offering Black Friday discounts to drum up business.
By making these tools readily available, PhaaS has significantly lowered the technical and financial barriers to entry to cybercrime, opening the floodgates for inexperienced hackers to begin launching their own attacks. Even more worryingly, the research published by Egress also found that some vendors have begun to advertise their phishing kits on the clear web, making them accessible even to those who don’t know how or have the means to access the dark web.
All of this makes it easier for cybercriminals to infiltrate your organization.
Why is PhaaS a problem?
The proliferation of PhaaS spells trouble for many organizations. Phishing is already a major security threat – research by Egress found that 73% of organizations have been the victims of successful phishing attacks in the last year. The commodification of phishing kits will only make the problem worse.
By lowering the barriers to entry, PhaaS has encouraged a new generation of cybercriminals to try their hand at phishing – and the return on investment for them is significant. PhaaS has made phishing more profitable – cybercriminals no longer need to spend time building their own email templates or false websites to scrape credentials or payment information. All they need to do is download a kit from a PhaaS vendor and follow the instructions to launch their attack. The time between ideation of attack and ‘fulfilment’ is minimal.
In addition, PhaaS also means that existing individual cybercriminals can easily ramp up the frequency of their attacks.
How can organizations protect themselves?
There’s little that individual organizations can do about the PhaaS industry itself – it will continue to increase in popularity as long as it remains profitable. However, organizations can take steps to better protect themselves from the increased volume, and sophistication, of the attacks produced using PhaaS.
While many organizations have invested in security awareness training to help their employees to spot malicious emails, it can only go so far in solving the problem. Organizations need to invest intelligent technology to win the battle against sophisticated phishing attacks. Solutions that use a zero-trust approach, combined with machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) technologies, can detect even the most advanced attacks.
Intelligent technology can also be used to enhance existing security training programs, partnering with users to improve employee awareness and help them to identify the signs of a phishing attack. Using these real-time teachable moments, technology can ensure that employees are the organization’s first line of defence against the next generation of cybercriminals.


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A Dodge Viper and a Ford F-150 Raptor R are both fun to drive in their own way, but neither one is what someone would call fuel-efficient. If you’ve got a lot of driving to do, you’re probably going to want to buy something that does better than the Raptor R’s EPA-rated 12 mpg combined. You’ll probably be giving up some of your driving enjoyment in the process, but that’s just life sometimes.
Recently, Consumer Reports decided to figure out which fuel-efficient vehicles are the best deals right now in various segments. But the news isn’t great. If you want a well-reviewed car that doesn’t burn a lot of gas, you reportedly won’t be able to find any of those cars below MSRP. Compared to the competition, though, these 10 vehicles are as good as the deals get right now.


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The Foreign Office has told ITV News it is looking into reports that three Britons have been shot dead in southern Spain.
More top news
Remaining cold for most this weekend with the risk of ice overnight
Last-minute Christmas shoppers have also been warned to watch out for icy pavements as the cold snap continues.
A chip shop in Cullompton has created a special Christmas Dinner - completely deep fried in batter. But how does it taste?


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Looking at the details, the prices of vegetables appear to have fallen across the board, alongside lower prices for milk, pulses, and cereals. We are seeing more signs that prices of key perishable vegetables continue to correct, and this will likely be a key disinflationary source in January as well, along with meat prices, which will likely correct lower given fears of avian flu.
However, some of the increase is likely to be mitigated by rising cooking oil, milk, and processed food prices, which appear to be rising on a sustained basis.
Rising oil prices remain a key risk for inflation over the medium term, Barclays said. Besides, retail prices face a considerable pressure from government tax levies. With fiscal resources contained, policymakers may find it tough to cut taxes on motor fuels. In absence of tax tweaks, $10 per barrel rise in crude prices could lead to a 34 bps (one bps is 0.01 per cent) increase in CPI.
Although inflation is now back within the central bank’s target band, but today's numbers is likely to drive a reduction in the RBI’s inflation profile, at least for first quarter of 2021. Barclays estimates CPI inflation to average closer to 5.0% in January-March quarter this year, versus the RBI’s own projection of 5.8%, taking average FY'21 inflation to 6.2% (previously: 6.6%).
"In such a scenario, monetary policymakers might opt to look through the part- base effect driven, temporary moderation in consumer prices" said Rahul Bajoria Balrclays' India economist. Even with its announced withdrawal of liquidity, RBI may not signal any policy tightening with falling inflation, and it may continue to remain on the sidelines, with little chance of a rate move in either direction in the first half of 2021. The benchmark repo rate at 4 per cent and has been lowered by 115bps to revive the economy since March 2020 when the government announced a nation-wide lockdown in wake of the COVID pandemic which brought the economy to a virtual standstill.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Brands & Companies
- Adani Enterprises Board OKs Raising up to ₹20kcr Via FPO
Adani Enterprises said Friday that the company’s board approved the raising of up to ₹20,000 crore ($2.5 billion) through a follow-on public offering (FPO) by issuing new shares to retail and institutional investors.All Aboard Black Friday Express — From US to India
Samsung, Amazon, Uniqlo and Domino’s were among several companies looking to turn Black Friday, yesterday, into another big sale day in India.Slew of Reforms brings Ease to Insurers
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) allowed private equity funds to invest directly in insurance companies and banks to tie up with as many as nine insurance companies as part of several measures approved at its meeting on Friday that will free up about ₹3,500 crore capital.
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.


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A reprieve for cheques – but is it needed?
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Posted by Paul Thomalla
The U.K is no longer scrapping cheques by 2018. But will they still be here by then anyway?
The news from the UK Payments Council yesterday that cheques will no longer be forcibly scrapped in 2018 has, perhaps inevitably, received mixed responses.
For the banks, issuing, handling, securing and processing cheques is expensive and time consuming – a cost that in the end has to be passed on to customers. However, consumer groups, especially those representing the elderly are celebrating at the news, because of the convenience of cheques for those less comfortable with the alternatives such as mobile or internet-based transactions.
As we have often seen in the past, consumer demand is a very big factor in payments - the response from the public to any new payment mechanism can, often, make it or break it. We also know that many consumers dislike change, as demonstrated by the response to the initial proposals to drop cheques.
However, as the Payments Council points out, cheque use is falling year on year – and the scrapping of the cheque guarantee card scheme in recent weeks will be another factor to drive down the number of places or people who will be prepared to accept cheques.
If I were a betting man, I would anticipate that cheques will have been replaced naturally by other mechanisms by 2018 anyway, but we in the industry can certainly help - to prevent the atrophy we would see if cheques just go on and on. The replacement of cheques has happened successfully in many other countries, and we need to see what we can learn from them to get it right.
There are many alternatives already in the market that offer faster and more secure payment of bills (such as telephone or internet banking) – not to mention the plethora of electronic gift cards available in any supermarket today that can replace the ‘cheque in a birthday card’ or PayPal for person-to person payments. We will definitely see more and more schemes emerge, such as those using SMS messages over mobile phones.
We need to make sure that consumers see the benefits of these new systems, and that they feel there is at least one that is right for them, to stimulate the change we need. This is a combination of education, explanation and communication, but we did it with Chip and PIN and we can do it again. If we get it right, I am certain that these schemes will see phenomenal growth in the next five years to become even more mainstream.
Last time my son saw my wife writing a cheque he asked why on earth she was writing a letter to the bank. Good question son!
Related blog posts
Rio 2016 – Once the Games Are Over, It Doesn’t Mean Fraud Is Over
The 2016 Rio Games are in full swing—with great story lines and unbelievable performances by incredible athletes, all being watched and admired by a million additional tourists in town (not to mention the many billions watching on TVs and computer screens).
The connected world, mobile commerce and fraud
The following Portuguese language contribution comes from one of our many talented Latin America-based colleagues and fintech experts. Based in Sao Paolo, Hugo Costa, general manager of ACI Brazil, provides some great insight into the connected world, mobile commerce and fraud.
Alarming Brazilian card fraud trends & outlandish risky behavior
In a recent report “Global Consumers: Losing Confidence In The Battle Against Fraud,” it was found that 30% of consumers have experienced card fraud in the past five years. Against a backdrop of 2,260 confirmed data breaches in 2015 and over 4 billion records stolen since in 2013, consumers are losing faith in the ability of providers to protect them.
South African card fraud trends & risky consumer behavior
In conjunction with the PASA International Payments Conference this week, we decided to take a look at some recent consumer fraud data from the host nation, South Africa. The market is very similar to the global averages, in that a shockingly high number of consumers continue to experience card fraud. Despite the number of fraud attacks and breaches, consumers in South Africa continue to engage in risky behavior such as providing information in phishing attempts and writing down their PIN numbers.
July: the hottest shopping time of the year for consumers, retailers—and fraudsters
Summer is in full swing, and while many people equate this time of year with beach-hopping and BBQs, retailers—and those of us who keep them in business— are quickly making July one of the most exciting shopping months of the year. Irresistible online sales and promotions abound, and with that, so does the risk of fraud. In fact, eCommerce fraud attempt rates in July, 2016 (1.6%) are slightly higher than fraud rates in December, 2015 (1.2%), which is the busiest holiday shopping time of the year.
Three things that it takes to be in the Fraud Management Business in 2016; a survey reflection
On the heels of ACI’s latest Consumer Fraud Survey, recurring questions have continued to solidify themes. Let me summarize the results for you: There is incrementally more card fraud, consumers are not changing their behavior all that much in reaction to it, and they expect any issues to be addressed and resolved more easily today than in years past. Of course, this is about what we should be anticipating in our “always on”, service and convenience oriented, mobile world. So, with that said, here’s what fraud management means to consumers and fraud managers in 2016.
Consumers want access Merchants want simple global and secure opportunities How to achieve both
While riding the local commuter rail on my last leg home from NYC, I sat next to a woman who was on her smartphone shopping on what looked like a Chinese website. I smiled to myself after just having spent the day talking about the massive opportunities presented in the borderless world of eCommerce. The scenario was very timely as the day’s discussion centered on providing consumers with access to goods and services and the merchants’ opportunity to serve them anytime, anywhere with the payment options they desire.
EMV in the US The picture six months on Part 2
EMV implementation – the side effects
EMV in the US The picture six months on Part 1
It has been six months since the EMV liability shift occurred in the US on October 1, 2015 – and it’s time to assess our progress, challenges and outlook.
The two worst days of the year for retailer fraud
What are the most fraudulent days of the year to shop? If you guessed Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve—congratulations, you’d be right.


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First images of Samsung Galaxy Note III prototype surface on the webThe Samsung Galaxy Note III is expected to be made official at the IFA 2013 event in Berlin.
Rumours about the third generation Samsung Galaxy Note phablet have been doing the rounds for quite some time. Now images of what is believed to be the prototype Samsung Galaxy Note III have surfaced on the web.
The leaked images of the Galaxy Note III come from SamMobile and TechTastic, showing a huge display with curved corners and a high resolution display. The thin bezel of the alleged device shows it's not the Galaxy Mega 6.3.
The Samsung Galaxy Note III is expected to be formally announced at the IFA 2013 event in Berlin. The third generation Galaxy phablet is expected to feature 5.99-inch Super AMOLED display, 13MP rear camera, Snapdragon 800 or the Exynos octa-core processor, Wi-Fi, GPS an S-Pen and the latest Android OS along with Samsung's own TouchWiz interface.
Samsung is readying for June 20 event in London where it is slated to showcase a slew of new smartphones. The company has already confirmed Mini and Active versions of its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone. The company is rumoured to launch a Zoom variant of the S4 as well. Samsung yesterday made its Galaxy Ace 3 smartphone official.
In the meanwhile, check out below the leaked images of the prototype Samsung Galaxy Note III:Popular Gadget Deals
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J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., the largest American bank by assets, has said that formal business attire is not mandatory on all occasions. The move is being seen as "relatively unusual" for a Wall Street bank.
Citing an internal memo issued by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., the Wall Street Journal said that the bank is "allowing employees to wear business-casual attire on most occasions" and wrote that the bank is "trading pinstripes for pullover sweaters".
The move, the publication said, is a reflection of the trend that is being witnessed in the world of banking, wherein financial institutions are adapting to stay relevant in the wake of stiff competition from financial technology firms who are eating into their share.
Casual pants, capri pants, polo shirts and dress sandals.
Athletic clothing, including sweatpants, leggings and yoga pants, halter tops, flip-flops, hats or hoods. "Distracting, tight, revealing or exceptionally loose or low-cut clothing" isn't allowed either, WSJ said, quoting from a copy of the dress code.
At present, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. has casual Fridays in many locations, with some of its 2.37 lakh employees wearing business casual attire if they don't have clients in the building.
In India, formal wear was in the news last June when Vishal Sikka, the MD & CEO of Infosys, said employees can wear casual jeans on all days and not just on Fridays.
"'From Monday, June 1, you can flaunt your smart business casuals all week long! This was a change that many of you had voiced and requested on various platforms, so we are really excited that it is official now!" Sikka said in an internal communication to employees, the Economic Times had reported.
A year before that, Sikka had scrapped the mandatory wearing of ties for male employees, in response to a request.